1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to image capture and processing, and more particularly, to a method and device used to capture, compress and digitize photographic images and further to convert common protocols so that they may be bi-directionally communicated over computer networks via TCP/IP protocol and other similar protocols.
2. Description of the Related Art
Existing biometric architectures utilize a process computer or similar device for capturing images from a camera. As illustrated in FIG. 1, the computer 12 captures the images from either an analogue or digital camera 14 (NTSC/PAL) via installed capture cards, USB, Firewire and/or other proprietary capture mechanisms. Once captured, the system relies on the compression software that resides on the computer 12 to compress and digitize the images so that they can be xe2x80x9cfedxe2x80x9d into the software systems for recognition and verification. For example, face recognition systems use various algorithms for face recognition comparison, face finding, and template creation and matching.
These existing systems require a local computer 12 interfaced with each camera 14 to capture, compress or digitize photographic images for face or other biometric recognition systems. Interactive feedback is provided via the existing computer""s monitor 11. Data input devices 13 such as keyboards, magnetic swipe readers, proximity readers, barcode scanners, document scanners or similar devices are also interfaced directly into the local computer 12 via communication ports.
There exists a need to consolidate this process so that photographic images from multiple cameras can be captured, compressed and digitized by a non-computer based device that will in turn communicate with a single central processing unit that will in turn utilize those images for the purposes of face recognition.
There exists a further need for such a device to provide interactive feedback via a visual mechanism such as a Liquid Crystal Display (xe2x80x9cLCDxe2x80x9d) without the need for this feedback to be provided through the local computer 12. The device should also provide for conversion and bi-directional communication of common protocols over a new or existing computer network, such as an Ethernet network.
The present invention includes a communication control device that connects directly to at least one camera. Either analogue or digital cameras are connected to the communication control device. The communication control device captures, compresses, digitizes and/or encrypts the photographic images communicated to the communication control device from each camera and then communicates the processed or compressed images through a standard network protocol, including without limitation, a TCP/IP, HTTP, UDP, or ARP protocol to a computer for further processing.
The device can further bi-directionally communicate common protocols such as RS232 or RS485 protocols over new or existing computer networks using a standard network protocol, including without limitation a TCP/IP, HTTP, UDP or ARP protocol. This allows for data input devices such as keyboards, magnetic stripe card readers, proximity readers, barcode scanners, document scanners or similar devices to be interfaced directly into the communication control device. The communication control device can also communicate such protocols to visual output devices such as LCDs to provide interactive feedback on the status or outcome of the verification to the user of the verification system and/or to the person being identified.
One aspect of the present invention is an identity verification system, the verification system comprising: (a) entry means for recording biometric data; (b) a data input device; (c) display means for displaying information to a user; (d) a communication control device remote from said entry means, data input device and display means, said communication control device having receiving means for receiving the biometric data from the entry means and a set of input data from the data input device, first conversion means for selectably capturing a portion of the biometric data received from the entry means and converting said portion of captured biometric data into a compressed digital file of the captured biometric data, second conversion means for formatting the set of input data into a network protocol standard, transmitting means for transmitting data from the communication control device to the display means, and connecting means for connecting the first conversion means to the entry means, the second conversion means to the data input device, the transmitting means to the display means, and the communication control device to a computer network; (e) a central processing unit remote from the communication control device and in communication with the communication control device having an installed biometric recognition system, storage means for storing a set of digital biometric templates in a biometric database, searching means for searching the biometric database for a stored biometric template linked with an identifying parameter, first processor means for generating a test biometric template from the captured biometric data using the installed biometric recognition system, second processor means for comparing the test biometric template with the stored biometric template to provide a validation signal when a correspondence between the test biometric template and the stored biometric template is detected; and (g) a computer network connecting the communication control device to the central processing unit.
Another aspect of the present invention is a communication control device for capturing biometric data for identity verification, said device consisting essentially of: (a) receiving means for receiving a set of biometric data from a biometric data entry device and a set of input data from a data input device, (b) first conversion means for selectably capturing a portion of the set of biometric data received from the biometric data entry device and converting said portion of captured biometric data into a compressed digital file of the captured biometric data, (c) second conversion means for formatting the set of input data from the data input device into a network protocol standard, (d) transmitting means for transmitting data from the communication control device to a visual output device, and (e) connecting means for connecting the first conversion means to the biometric data entry device, the second conversion means to the data input device, the transmitting means to the visual output device, and the communication control device to a computer network.
Yet another aspect of the present invention is a communication control device for capturing biometric data for identity verification, said device consisting essentially of: (a) a camera server having a video engine in communication with at least one camera, wherein the video engine selectably captures a set of photographic images taken with the camera and converts the images into a compressed digital file, a first data conversion engine in communication with at least one data input device, wherein the first data conversion engine captures a set of input data from the data input device and formats the captured data into a network protocol standard, and a second data conversion engine, wherein the second data conversion engine formats a set of output data for communication with a visual output device; and (b) a main board that connects the camera server to the camera, the data input device, the visual output device and a computer network.
A further aspect of the present invention is a method for image capture and verification comprising the steps of: sending a live video stream of an individual taken with a camera to a communication control device; capturing a photographic frame out of the video stream; converting the photograph frame into a compressed digital file; capturing a set of input data in a common protocol format from at least one data input device; converting the common protocol formatted data into a network standard protocol; sending the compressed digital file and converted input data to a central processing unit for image verification or identification; and providing feedback on the status or outcome of the verification to a visual output device.
Still yet another aspect of the present invention is a face recognition based method for verifying the identity of an individual, the method comprising the steps of: entering an identifier associated with the individual through a referenced data input device into a communication control device, said communication control device in communication with a CPU; searching an enrolled face database residing on the CPU for the individual""s identifier, wherein said enrolled face database links a stored digitized facial template file previously obtained from the individual with the individual""s identifier; activating a camera reference-linked to the referenced data input device; gathering a plurality of photographic images of the individual; capturing a set of selected photographic images with the communication control device and generating a compressed digitized image file from the selected photographic images; transmitting the compressed digitized image file to the CPU; processing the compressed digitized image file though a face recognition system residing on the CPU to form a test facial template file; comparing the test facial template file with the previously stored facial template file using the face recognition system; and providing feedback on the correspondence of the test facial template file with the previously stored facial template file associated with the identifier to a visual output device associated with the biometric data entry mechanism.